I have a cabin up on the South Mountain of Forkston in Wyoming County. Every year they have a "Rattlesnake Roundup" in the Noxen area, just below my cabin.

I've run into many dozens of rattlesnakes up there. I don't bother them unless they are near my cabin. I've had a few hang out right under my cabin! I'm always careful where I walk in the warm weather, and try avoid areas with thick undergrowth where I can't see where I'm stepping.

Trust me, they don't always rattle to give up their location, I've had more than a few close calls. If they do rattle, you're way too close. Unless you're Wyatt Erp, you would not likely be able to draw and shoot a pistol before the snake strikes. Like I said, I leave them be if possible.

In the many years of fishing all over the place, I have never run into a rattlesnake or a copperhead.

1. Is the gun to kill the snake for ID after the bite? Typically you can pull a gun, aim, and shoot, you coulda just gotten out of the way to begin with.1b. Bears and bobcat, you don't need a gun for either. Mountain lions. I fully believe there's an escaped pet or two around which may live for years. I don't totally disregard the possibility of a wild, breeding population, but i have my doubts. 1c. That said, it is your right to carry your gun, and I support it. I don't thing you need it, but if you like to, then thats all the explanation you need.

4. I always carry my cell phone and it rarely runs out of charge. However, north of 80, coverage is pretty spotty unless you're near a town.

To protect myself from getting nailed by a rattler, I would trade a pistol with snake shot for a walking stick or a wading staff and a cell phone. The snake would probably strike at the closest moving object, that would likely be the stick, giving you time to bolt. If not, you can call for help. But like PCray, I defend your right to carry a firearm if that's what you want ot do.

I agree with Fishidiot, when I go fishing, I'm a lot more concerned about deer ticks than any snake.

afishinado wrote:To protect myself from getting nailed by a rattler, I would trade a pistol with snake shot for a walking stick or a wading staff and a cell phone. .

I have seen plenty of rattle snakes in Idaho...South for k of the Boise River was just littered with them. We used to just make enough noise that most of the time they were probably scurrying away and we never even noticed them.

But seriously, how do you people enjoy fishing, let alone get out of bed in the morning. You worry too much. You can still be prepared without living in a paranoid state.

And yes, I would find a tick and some bees way more threatening than something I could not only out run, but actually be able to see and react to.

I'd like to have a stick too, have something to poke it away with. But snakes, especially pit vipers (like rattlers), strike at heat as opposed to by sight. If you've ever used a stick to mess with a snake, even non-poisonous ones, its hard to get them to strike it, and thats why.

tom, yeah, people are making too much of snakes. A little caution is warranted in snake rich areas, but theres no need to not go there or walk around paranoid all the time.

As far as ticks or bees, so long as your not allergic to bee stings, then I see them as much more likely to cause you problems, but the resulting problems are not nearly as severe as a snake bite. Lime disease can be pretty serious, but I'd still choose it over bite from a timber rattler. I haven't had much of a tick problem from fishing, but I used to get them fairly often when I did more small game hunting than I do now.

As far as time of year, I saw my first snake last year in March. But the few rattlers I've seen have all been mid-summer.

Only ever seen one. And that one is photoed below. It was out near Worlds End, in the middle of a hiking trail! And like others have said, I did not see it until it started to rattle. Gave it a wide berth, but not before I snapped a pic.

The most important danger in backcountry fishing is driving there and driving home. I'm not joking about this. Nothing else is even remotely close.

Second would be deer ticks = Lyme disease.

Snakes, bears etc. are WAY down the list.

Backcountry fishing is my favorite fishing and I've been doing it for about 35 years. I've never carried a gun, and none of my fishing buddies ever has either. And never had an occasion where one was needed.

I like to travel light, but if you are going to add weight, the best things to carry would be:

Rain gear and a fleece top, to prevent hypothermia if you get caught in nasty weather, and you WILL sooner or later if you do a lot of this.

A couple of Power Bars, for energy is you get lost and spend the night in the woods.

A Bic lighter so you can build a fire, if you spend the night in the woods.

It's good to go with a buddy, so if you break a leg, he can go get help. Falling is a danger out there. Take your time, don't rush around.

Take it from a guy who knows, make sure you check yourself from those damn ticks!

I think in April if we get a few warm sunny days in a row the snakes will be out and sunning themselfs on the rocks.

I've seen three rattlers awhile fishing in my life, never a Copperhead, hope I never see another.

My dad had a hunting camp in Perry Co. years ago. A friend and me were up cutting the grass once and found three baby rattlers in the grass. He put them in a jar, "not me for sure" and took them home with him. I have a wading/ snake wacker with me at all times. I bang it around all the time while waking, a fishing buddy of mine always siad he knew it was me coming, he could hear me bangin my wading staff.PaulG

Had a buddy who was fighting fires in Yellowstone in 88 stepped on a nest of ground hornets. Got stung 28 times and needed airlifted. I haven't been stung since I was a kid. Around the house its nothing a whiffle ball bat can't fix.

tabasco_joe wrote:I worry more about copperheads. We have them on the small spring creeks at my cabin. They can lay in the watercress and strike without warning. I often think about them when I'm fishing Falling Spring, etc.

On rare occasions when fishing in back country areas with a reputation for snakes I carry a pistol with snake shot. The odds of killing a snake close enough to strike before it stikes is almost zero.

I was fishing early fall last year and there was a boulder four feet away from me. All of a sudden ten minutes later I moved closer to the boulder to see a copperhead sunning itself!! He didn't bother me, I didn't bother him. I think copperheads are only lethal if you weigh 70 lbs or less....at least that is what I have heard.

One snake I have seen in SE PA which aren't common was a water moccasin.

Posted on: 2009/2/27 9:48

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Those who have no vices usually have some really annoying virtues!

I usualy start seeing them scouting a week before spring gobbler season in the afternoon on sunny days. Timbers are the usual varitey and around the bluberry bushes you find a host of young Copperheads. Snake boots are a must where we hunt unless of Course you want to imitate the croc hunter and we know God was protecting him most of his adrenelin filled life.

Posted on: 2009/2/27 9:50

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" political correctness is tyranny with manners"... Charlton Heston" ..all we touch and all we see is all our lives will ever be.." Floyd

I stepped on a wasp nest and got covered with them. I had a hooded sweatshirt on with the hood up on a cool June morning. It was zipped up, luckily I grabbed the waistline and pulled it over my head turning it inside out. I ended up getting stung once in the hand. They were coming out of the sweatshirt for over an hour before I could pick it up again. I think the thing that saved me was they were a bit lethargic in the cool air. I was on Penns half way between Poe Paddy and Ingleby. This was back before cell phones so it would have been dicey trying to get back to the car if I got stung 20 or 30 times.

1. Is the gun to kill the snake for ID after the bite? Typically you can pull a gun, aim, and shoot, you coulda just gotten out of the way to begin with.1b. Bears and bobcat, you don't need a gun for either. Mountain lions. I fully believe there's an escaped pet or two around which may live for years. I don't totally disregard the possibility of a wild, breeding population, but i have my doubts. 1c. That said, it is your right to carry your gun, and I support it. I don't thing you need it, but if you like to, then thats all the explanation you need.

4. I always carry my cell phone and it rarely runs out of charge. However, north of 80, coverage is pretty spotty unless you're near a town.

Pcray,

You really mustn't spend much time in the mountains... The heart of the spring trout season is just when bears and their CUBS are coming out of their dens. You stumble down to the creek and wind up between a sow and her cubs and tell me a gun is worthless.

And if you're one of those guys who says "well I know a hundred fisherman who have never had this happen to them", thats the worst excuse in the books. And for people that do think like that, I hope it does happen to you.